Mo Power

Orlando Magic Rookie Mohamed Bamba is

ready for prime time.

The Orlando Magic made a few right moves in attempt to rebuild for the upcoming season. In attempt to improve their defense, the Magic chose Mohamed Bamba sixth overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. Measuring 7 feet 10 inches, Bamba’s massive wingspan sets the NBA Combine record, and we have high hopes it’ll bring some magic to the team. The former Texas Longhorns star played in 30 games with 29 starts last season as a freshman, averaging 12.9 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.70 blocks in 30.2 minutes per game, while shooting .541 (146-270) from the floor. He led the Big 12 in rebounding, blocked shots and double-doubles.

With the Magic building their core of young players, they have the foundation to defend the pick-and-roll which can be a nightmare to defend when executed correctly. Along with their newest addition, Aaron Gordon’s re-sign and Jonathan Isaac’s injury recovery is a recipe for a successful season. Defensive trio Bamba, Isaac and Gordon may be missing puzzle piece to finally turn things around for the Magic. The former Texas Longhorns center’s outstanding wingspan and impressive defense mechanics are what got him drafted, however questions exist about his consistency. “Just who I am as a competitor,” Bamba said. “Obviously, I’m not going to sit here and say things are going to change overnight. It takes more than just one person. I truly believe my teammates around me we have the right people to make the organization successful.”

We are thrilled to welcome Bamba to our home team and the Orlando Magic has high hopes for his future impact. “We think Mo has the potential to be one of the elite defenders in the league,” Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman said. “Obviously he is going to have to work hard to get there and it will take some time. He’s already in his short time playing in college proven to be an elite-level shot blocker. He’s got good feet, he’s a smart player. We don’t just draft a player, we draft a person. He’s a unique individual who happens to be a unique basketball player as well.” Mo Bamba may just bring a little more magic to our team resulting in a successful comeback season.